November 2, 2009

Obama's shocking weight loss.

Drudge raises the alarm. Justified? Are you worried about him? Or are you more like: Tell me your diet tips, Barack? What are the reasons a President would get too thin? Anorexia?! Is his self-image awry? Is he really just working out, working hard, and skipping meals (the proffered explanation)? Or is something terribly wrong?

160 comments:

MadisonMan said...

I am not shocked. His face hasn't lost weight. When his face is more skeletal cadaverosity (a word I just made up) to it, I'll think something's wrong.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Are you worried about him?

Yes. But not because of his weight.

Maybe they 'should' have let him just eat his waffles.

Anonymous said...

It's simple. Here's his weight-loss trick:

He smokes cigarettes.

Irene said...

What Florida said.

Anonymous said...

"Just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough."

This is the most telling quote of his Presidency.

Anyone who has to announce to everyone that he's tough ... isn't.

dbp said...

""No, he's not chain smoking," claims an insider."

I would put money on the chain smoking theory

dbp said...

Every day, in every way, Obama looks more like LBJ.

Scott said...

Is Drudge implying anorexia? He should man up and say it.

MayBee said...

Maybe he's back to fasting every Sunday.

john said...

He hasn't lost weight. It's just a Ralph Loren photoshoot.

Anonymous said...

Second telling quote (from an "insider"):

"He's working non-stop for the country ..."

This quote is in response to Obama walking out of a gym where he was playing.

Face it: Barack Obama doesn't even work part-time for the country. He's too busy playing golf with his male friends and midnight basketball while millions of Americans without jobs go hungry.

Tom Spaulding said...

Hey, just do as you're told and let him be thinkin' for himself.

Anonymous said...

Maybe he's back to fasting every Sunday.

Maybe Michelle's collard greens ain't all they cracked up to be.

jayne_cobb said...

"Anyone who has to announce to everyone that he's tough ... isn't."


Does this also mean that Joe Biden is a joke?

To think that Newsweek would betray my trust in their judgement. I'm shocked.


But in all seriousness though, it is never a good sign when you keep having to tell people to take your administration seriously.

jayne_cobb said...

As for why he's so skinny:


I'm going with cigarettes and stress. Either way he still looks healthy enough.

reader_iam said...

I could not possibly care less about Obama's weight, or whether he smokes. It's not personal: I don't care about either of those things with regard to any politician.

Just quirky, I guess.

Joseph said...

It must be all the fasting he's been doing during Ramadan.

Automatic_Wing said...

Of course he's skinny. Living on cigarettes, black coffee and arugula will do that to ya..

Muser said...

I like this comment posted at Riehl World View:

"I don't think we sould give Obama too much grief over his new appearance. Your first real job after college can cause a lot of stress."

http://musingsandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/

careen said...

He doesn't look that different to me. Is there some reason middle-aged guys in power shouldn't be slim other than setting a higher standard for other middle aged guys in power?

I once checked out one of those "men in power" swimsuit shot net slideshows and it was shocking. HORRIFYING. Those guys are FAT underneath all that tailoring. HUGE. Three times as large as I thought they would be.

Putin's skin is melting off of his muscle cage like boiled chicken off the bone. Clinton was ENORMOUS, bigger than a 70-something Reagan. And Ted Kennedy - oh my god.

The only two that looked remotely normal were Obama and John F Kennedy.

So let him be skinny - out of the suit it looks better.

themightypuck said...

This is what counts for skeletal these days? He's a tall thin, guy wearing a black outfit. Maybe we should call him the thin black duke?

Synova said...

He's wearing loose black clothing. If you look at the picture you can see his moobs. I don't think he's lost much weight, but he didn't take any time at all to put on the presidential gray.

former law student said...

We're used to his campaign pudge. Now, regular meals have returned him to his regular weight.

vw: faughett -- what a new yorker does abahdit.

Meade said...

"Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though. ..."

Smack makes you fat.

traditionalguy said...

Did anyone mention "diet pills" or methamphetamines. That would explain his appearance and his trouble thinking straight. He does not seem to know the difference between his statements delivered by teleprompter and the obvious untruths he communicates so glibly. It's either that, or he is intentionally fasting in an attempt to restore his Gift that allows him to sweet talk the world around him into doing what it actually hates.

themightypuck said...

Nothing makes you skinnier than smack.

exhelodrvr1 said...

He would be heavier if he included women in the basketball games.

Beth said...

It can't be the job. He doesn't care about that. (I heard it on the radio; it must be true.)

Beth said...

Florida, Michelle Obama grew up in Chicago. Why would she be cooking collard greens?

rhhardin said...

He hasn't been licking the platter clean.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

The Presidency is not good for life expectancy.

Take a look at 2000 candidate Bush and compare it with the man who left office. It took a toll.

Clinton looked a lot worse, too.

Strangely, the man least affected seems to have been Jimmy Carter. Make of that what you will.

Anonymous said...

Justified? Are you worried about him?

Nah ... heroin chic is all the rage.

kjbe said...

exhelodrvr1, why?

SteveR said...

The telepromptee has been giving his neck a workout.

Bender said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

"Michelle Obama grew up in Chicago. Why would she be cooking collard greens?"

Girl can't cook, obviously. Home boy lookin' peaked.

Top Soul Food Restaurants In Chicago
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/58438/the_top_soul_food_restaurants_in_chicago.html

Chicago Bluesmen Love Kickin' Collard Greens - Recipe
http://ezinearticles.com/?Chicago-Bluesmen-Love-Kickin-Collard-Greens&id=2368565

Bender said...

Being non-stop on the campaign trail for over three years now eventually is going to wear a guy down.

And then to have to stare reality in the face, seeing that NOTHING he has done has worked and, has instead, made things much, much worse, realizing that he doesn't know how to swim while being tossed about by the waves in the middle of the ocean, all the while knowing that the crap you read off the teleprompter about how great things are now is exactly that, crap, all this is bound to take it's toll on a guy.

Shooting your mouth off like an ignorant know-it-all is great, but then when you are the one that actually has to do the job, it's no longer fun anymore. Sure, you can do things like bitch and moan about some damn mop, whining about how it's not your fault, but knowing deep down that you have to actually accept responsibility for something because you said you wanted the job? It's enough to cause one to lose their appetite altogether.

Anonymous said...

"If you look at the picture you can see his moobs."

Shuuuuuddddddddder.

Drew W said...

This reminds me of the widespread concern caused by the news that William Howard Taft's weight had dipped below 300.

J Lee said...

Obama is not a confrontational person in a one-on-one setting. Yea, he has no problem going after conservatives and/or Republicans, but that's with the entire force of the Democratic Party and a good portion of the media having his back.

When you get to Democrat-on-Democrat fights, especially within his own staff, and foreign leaders who cause problems, Obama can no longer vote 'present' or bump the problem up to someone else. He has to decide, and for someone who has spent his political career being as non-threatening as possible, it's got to be really stirring up the acid in his stomach. That would probably go a long way towards accounting for the weight loss.

Anonymous said...

Strangely, the man least affected seems to have been Jimmy Carter.

I dunno.

Clinton looked pretty uh - refreshed - right up until they figured out why.

Sprezzatura said...

Were did Drudge get his reporting from? You have to love the insider's answer which is a response to the smoking version of the "do you beat your wife" question.

Also, it's a nice note the self deprecating skinny but tough comment that BHO has been using for years--including in Miami recently.

When Drudge (or Althouse) riles up the cons in the audience, who's conning whom?

Ha ha.

P.S.

Adding fuel to the fire: BHO has drastic and extremely quick up and down fluctuations in weight. [Almost as if Presidents sometimes wear vests under their suits.]

DADvocate said...

Besides cigarettes and stress, basketball, long rounds of golf and waiting on Michelle hand and foot leave little time to eat.

Bissage said...

There’s nothing wrong with the President’s weight loss that can’t be fixed with a couple more beer summits.

Triangle Man said...

Smack makes you fat.

Is smack some kind of desert item down yonder? Because, if you mean heroin, then I beg to differ.

Sprezzatura said...

So, Ds never made any progress claiming that W (as in Western White House) took too much time off, but now Rs think that this attack is going to work against BHO.

Got it.

KCFleming said...

Sugar Smacks make you fat.

KCFleming said...

"Rs think that this attack is going to work against BHO"

No, it won't work, except to assist in undermining support, as was the point in the constant chipping away by the MSM during W's terms.

kathleen said...

frankly, I don't see it. black sweats are just slimming (which is why I'm wearing them now)

Robert said...

It's from trips to receive orders from his true master. The fires of Hell burn up a lot of calories.

Unknown said...

Well, this will kick the "he's gay and has AIDS" rumors back into high gear.

Sprezzatura said...

Pogo,

The old fight trite w/ trite strategy.

Whatever floats your boat.

David said...

Obama has never released a full health report--just a summary of doctor's conclusions. He is hiding something. Whether this has anything to do with this weight loss is impossible to know.

There's a pretty good chance he is smoking more than ever.

Anonymous said...

"... black sweats are just slimming."

They're not black. They're African-American sweats you racist.

Triangle Man said...

"he's gay and has AIDS" rumors

About Obama? Never heard them.

Anonymous said...

"Obama has never released a full health report--just a summary of doctor's conclusions."

That's because he got AIDS back when he was snorting coke pumped into the black community by the CIA to keep the brothers down.

From Inwood said...

Well, what do you know? He's following Rush in one area!

Sprezzatura said...

BTW, how many Althouse commentors roll out of bed and check out Drudge on their phones first thing in the morning?

To be clear; I mean commentors other than Althouse, who has already acknowledged this pathology.

XWL said...

You, a law professor who often complains about men dressed as boys, failed to mention the way Pres. Obama looks in the outfit pictured.

And what about Obama's apparent thing for shoes, I haven't seen him wear the same pair of workout shoes yet.

I think we should go extremely old school with presidential attire. Presidents should be required to don a Lakota Headdress befitting a Chief, a loincloth, and nothing else (and that goes double for Sarah Palin, should she get elected).

That'd toughen up our Presidents, and that sort of exposure would be a good way to keep them from developing too big of an ego.

KCFleming said...

@1jpb re: trite.

True.
The practice of nattering over minor flaws is a colossal bore. I do understand it. All the same, I abhor it, and see no reason why his opponents should kvetch, unless that too is just part of the ritual.

AllenS said...

His presidency isn't cutting it, in the eyes of Michelle, so she put him on half rations.

WV: blina

Italian for bling.

traditionalguy said...

I hope that President Obama does smoke. He needs to think clearly under frustrating events. It worked for General, and later President, Eisenhower.

Scott M said...

Doesn't smoking+stress=reduced appetite for most people?

This means skipped meals and that means weight loss without really trying.

Anonymous said...

I hope that President Obama does smoke.

He's killing his children with the second-hand smoke, but you know, it's all good.

Somebody should call DSS on him and have the kids taken away.

ricpic said...

Like a dog to its vomit Obama to midnight basketball.

Unknown said...

Triangle Man said...

"he's gay and has AIDS" rumors

About Obama? Never heard them.


Part of the birther thing; or, more to the point, why he hasn't released his medical records.

Technically, I haven't got a dog in all of this, but he could do himself some good and stop this just by releasing his records, transcripts, etc.

I can't see any reason for the birth cert - except that his real name is something like Stanley Dunham, Jr. Same for his medical stuff.

Academic transcripts would be a different story.

lonetown said...

maybe he's trying to catch up to his resume'

Diamondhead said...

Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette!
Puff, puff, puff, and if you puff yourself to death,
Tell St. Peter at the golden gate
That you hate to make him wait,
But you gotta have another cigarette.

Mr. Smarterthanyou said...

Now he can really let his crack habit go wild...

KCFleming said...

A cardigan sweater would bulk him up a bit.

AllenS said...

Will Saturday Night Live notice?

Hazy Dave said...

He's not fasting for Ramadan, is he? Maybe he's just trying to prove he's not a typical Chicagoan.

Anonymous said...

BTW, how many Althouse commentors roll out of bed and check out Drudge on their phones first thing in the morning?

The same "pathology" affects nearly everyone employed in the news business.

Chris said...

"Just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough."

Reminds me of this ditty in Book IV of the Republic, where Socrates explains why thin soldiers will be tougher than well-fed ones.

Steven said...

Obama never had to make a life-or-death, nobody-can-decide-but-me decision in his life. Obama also never ran any permanent organization larger than a legislative office in his life. There was no reason to expect that he could actually endure the stress and strain of a high-pressure executive job.

So I am worried by indications the stress is getting to him (like a significant drop in weight). And I am worried when he seems to be unable to make a decision (like on Afghanistan). I'm concerned that we have an untested part enduring the highest-load strain of any position in the American machine of governance, and that part is showing signs, less than a year into use, of breaking.

Penny said...

It's hard telling if he lost weight yet, but I suspect he will before his job as president is over. In Myers Briggs terms, Obama is an ENTP. Here's a few characteristics:

"ENTPs are idea people. Their perceptive abilities cause them to see possibilities everywhere. They get excited and enthusiastic about their ideas, and are able to spread their enthusiasm to others. In this way, they get the support that they need to fulfill their visions.

ENTPs are less interested in developing plans of actions or making decisions than they are in generating possibilities and ideas. Following through on the implementation of an idea is usually a chore to the ENTP. For some ENTPs, this results in the habit of never finishing what they start."

Obama is in the WRONG job as the ultimate decision maker, President of the USA. It's why we see him go back to candidate Obama mode over and over again.

Expect the stress to take its toll on his health.

former law student said...

For some ENTPs, this results in the habit of never finishing what they start.

So Quitter Palin's an ENTP, and that excuses her?

Americans pork up when under stress. Obama's lean and mean.

KCFleming said...

Mebbe Obama's dithering over dinner.

Seems like BHO is becoming J. Alfred Prufrock.

"They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

...Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
"

former law student said...

He's not fasting for Ramadan, is he?

Eid al-Fitr was September 20, a time to honor your deceased family members and to give to charity.

reader_iam said...

That Hibberd comment might be the most unintentionally funny spam comment ever to hit this blog.

KCFleming said...

it was truly divine, no?

Freeman Hunt said...

I think he looks fine.

Freeman Hunt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kevin said...

Academic transcripts would be a different story.

Or an explanation of the weirdest thing of all - that not one of his fellow students at Columbia remembers him. What the hell was he doing?

I can remember some pretty reclusive students in college, but at least a few people would remember them - shared classes, shared majors, etc.

Jason (the commenter) said...

Obama is just following in Rush's footsteps.

Kirby Olson said...

He never released his medical records. Perhaps this will be another November surprise: he's got pancreatic cancer, or a tapeworm he picked up while in Indonesia.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

All right, worst case scenario.

What if the President is terminally ill? What if he knows it? What if he knew it before the election?

Are we ready for President Biden? Perhaps Obama chose Biden out of a misplaced desire to make sure someone competent succeeded him?

Interesting, and terrifying, to speculate about.

reader_iam said...

Kevin: I don't think we can say that *not one* of Obama's Columbia classmates *remember* him. Now, it may (or may not--I haven't made any attempt to Google to confirm either way) be true that no one's saying they do, or commenting publicly if they do.

Really, when you think about it, the majority of people who knew *any* politician back in college don't say a whole lot, do they? I mean, I can think of some exceptions, particularly with regard to some universities, but it really is more exceptional than not. Isn't it?

Photog714 said...

Are you worried about him?

No. I would be delighted if the son of a bitch disappeared altogether.

former law student said...

not one of his fellow students at Columbia remembers him

True. Two, not one, of his fellow students at Columbia remember him. From the Columbia U. wiki:

http://www.wikicu.com/Barack_Obama

Part of the deal is that transfer students can easily slip under the radar, compared to when everyone starts as freshmen.

This article interviews more of Obama's college classmates:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-05-15-3144401415_x.htm

former law student said...

Obama's been a skinny dude for a long time now:

http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jan05/cover.php

Does anyone know any chunky Kenyans?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23663218@N06/2446195242/

Dustin said...

John Lynch...

I don't get why Joe Biden is so scary.

He's clearly more competent, prepared, and intelligent than Obama. Joe knows what his foot tastes like because Joe has enough of a soul to contradict Obama on basic moral principles occasionally. Joe also is an insufferably arrogant politician without the savvy to hide it. But so what? So it Obama?

Biden has enough of a soul to try. He'd do a much better job than Obama simply because he obviously knows shame. As a conservative, I would gladly trade Obama for Biden.

But Obama ain't gonna die. It would be awful if he did, just because of the martyr culture, conspiracy kooks, and potentially rioting. Biden, however, would be better than Obama at simply trying to administer the government, IMO.

Penny said...

Fls, Obama and Palin are not at all alike. I suspect that Palin is an ESTJ, known as The Guardian pattern, while Obama has The Visionary pattern.

http://www.personalitypage.com/ESTJ.html

Michael Ryan said...

Well, if there's anything wrong with him, hopefully he won't be forced to endure nationalized health care.

Anonymous said...

John Lynch said: "What if the President is terminally ill? What if he knows it? What if he knew it before the election?"

I was thinking the same thing, how odd that would be. The only presidents to die in office since radio (instant and frequent communication) were FDR and Kennedy- both died very suddenly (FDR was sick for a while, but hid it). None have had extended illnesses, that I can think of.

Can you imagine, in this day of modern, 24 hour information, watching a sitting president fight a serious illness. How would we react? What would his critics do? How strange that would be.

(I should add that I do not think that the pictures mean anything- he was just wearing too baggy clothes in my opinion. And I certainly don't want anything to happen to Obama, other than a 2012 loss. I'm just saying that it is an interesting concept.)

TBMD said...

Frankly, when I saw the "Barak 'n Bones" headline on Drudge, I just assumed that he went out for ribs somewhere, and didn't bother to read the article.

Anonymous said...

This is pretty interesting news. Barack Obama is skinny?! Wow. I, for one, am shocked.

Darcy said...

Sure, you can do things like bitch and moan about some damn mop..

LOL

You guys are hilarious today.

J. Cricket said...

Anyone who has to announce to everyone that he's the decider ... isn't.

Lindsey said...

One of the more interesting moments for me on Mad Men was a clip of Eisenhower calling himself the 'decider'. This was used in an ad against Nixon. I do not think anyone would say Eisenhower had something to prove.

Henry said...

Maybe the news isn't that he's skinny, but that last year he was fat. Campaigning is high-calorie work as hefty guys like Bill Clinton can attest.

chuck b. said...

He's losing weight to be more like his idol, Abraham Lincoln.

chuck b. said...

(Did I not just "nail it"?)

Henry said...

Let's see the beard!

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

There are worse idols to have.

Methadras said...

Until Obama looks like the Crypt-Keeper Al Davis, I won't worry about his manorexia.

amba said...

I'm with Freeman: he looks fine. No doubt he is under considerable stress, but he asked for it?


Wishful thinking, folks?

chuck b. said...

amba said "but he asked for it?"

Surely! Did David Geffen put a gun to his head? Did anyone? I would have voted for Hillary (unless Giuliani had won the GOP nomination). Although to be honest, I was not paying much attention in 2008. And I voted for the other guy. Which I am proud of. Because "Together, we're going to change Washington!" was then, and is still, one of the MOST RIDICULOUS things a politican could possibly say. RIDICULOUS.

A statement like that *begs* you to vote for the other guy.

Begs you.

WV: sessesse. I've got nothing, but that's a fabulous word.

chuck b. said...

"Together we're going to change Washington" = "I'll go back to Georgia and be a peanut farmer".

Greg Hlatky said...

FDR was sick for a while, but hid it

Actually he was sick for a long time. Those around him knew he wasn't long for the world. However, the press didn't make anything of it and for the better part of a year, Roosevelt went on, working four hour days.

Greg Hlatky said...

Weight loss is just one more problem dumped on him by the previous administration.

chuck b. said...

"Weight loss is just one more problem dumped on him by the previous administration."

hahahahahahahahaha....love it.

chuck b. said...

Still laughing.

Well played.

Clyde said...

"Just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough."

Didn't Karen Carpenter say the same thing?

Have a sandwich, Barack.

Ralph L said...

Let's see the beard!

Haven't we seen enough of Michelle?

Darcy said...

chuck b. is feisty tonight! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Maybe he has Addison's Disease. The press has a proven track record in covering up that particular malady.

Symptoms:

■ Muscle weakness and fatigue
Weight loss and decreased appetite
■ Darkening of your skin (hyperpigmentation)
■ Low blood pressure, even fainting
■ Salt craving
■ Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
■ Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting
■ Muscle or joint pains
Irritability
■ Depression

holdfast said...

got coke?

rcocean said...

Just for the record, I'm not afraid of a Joe Biden administration.

Intelligence in Presidents is overrated. "Slow Joe" is too stupid to do anything out of the ordinary or "scary". He'd give us the same inside the beltway, establishment nonsense. Kinda like Bob Dole without the charisma.

Largo said...

Penny,

Did you read any Jung? You might like it. I read only parts of his Personality Types, but it told me some things about my own INTP self much more sharply than many of the standard profiles.

(Like, I thought INTPs made good teachers! Jung nails my weakness in a couple of sentences.)

knox said...

He's always been pretty thin. I don't see any difference.

knox said...

Oh yeah, and MadisonMan is right. His face hasn't lost weight. When someone gets way too skinny their chin gets very pointy, their nose looks big, and their head looks really big sitting on a stick-like neck. Barack doesn't have any of those attributes.

miller said...

Nah, there's nothing wrong.

There are more important things to be concerned about than a skinny, dithering man-child.

AllenS said...

The economy is so bad, that the presidential cook was laid off. I got out of bed to post this.

Michael Haz said...

A brother-in-law in DC on business just emailed:

Dude, you won't effong believe it. Just took a cab ride around the WH after dinner, on the way back to the hotel. WH lawn is littered with those cheap sign that say "Lose Weight Now- Ask Me How" signs. I thought WTF? and dialed the 800 number. Recorded voice sounded like a woman who was pretty well educated. Left my first name and room number. We'll see. Not sure where this is going but confident I can pitch on one nights rest.

Guy one table over at dinner was Jerrold Nadler. What a pig. Said that he was going to hot for the cycle, which I think meant that he was going to order one of everything on the menue. I should go back to the WH and grab one of those signs and stick it on his table. Later Dude

Penny said...

"The economy is so bad, that the presidential cook was laid off. I got out of bed to post this."

Now that you're up, AllenS, you better have a snack. You don't want Drudge posting about you tomorrow, do you?

LoafingOaf said...

He looks in good health to me. I guess in an America full of big fat cheeseburger eaters, his slim-ness stands out.

Republican said...

He looks fine-probably more slender from smoking.

reader_iam said...

Oh, good grief.

I think he's a slim person, for whatever reasons.

I think he might *also* (separately) be a smoker, but that's a whole 'nother thing.

Man, if ever we needed a demonstration of what one can accomplish in 25 years of steady received wisdom--the sort in which even the farthest left and farthest right, and even the squishy middles of all stripes--can accomplish, it is smoking.

Interesting, that--of all things.

Beth said...

I apologize for the digression, but I must ask those of you not boycotting the NFL,

Pray tell
What man dare sayeth
He intends to vanquish those Saints?
What man?
What man?

Cedarford said...

My theory is that for the 1st time in his life, Obama is subject to daily, unremittant stress.

We see in our own real lives those who can manage stress of high responsibilities - and those that can't.

Prior to the Presidency, Obama was about as stress free as a hep cat like he could be - save perhaps some hard months cracking books in law school. Prior to that, community organizing was a no-responsibility job. After law school he never had to compete scholastically for tenure...and was greeted as a rock star who was black, a smooth talker, and Editor of the Law Review. His wealthy patrons, headed by the Dailey Machine, the billionaire Crown/Klutznik/Protzker Families...arranged a set of secure sinecures for himself and his less gifted wife.

His State Senate career was steering graft the right way, schmoozing more patrons, voting present, and not voting a single bill.
His Senate campaign was gravy after Avner Mikva helped arrange his Keynote speech..run against a deranged carpetbagger named Alan Keyes.

Even his Presidential Campaign was not stressful...My thought is that his people wanted him to run just to get his face out there against eventual winner Hillary for raising awareness for a later run, fundraising, even a VP slot. They didn't plan on infatuated liberals and journalists prostrating themselves in "The One!!" worship...Then the golden opportunity of running in a Bush hating country with a collapsing economy and a most inept ill-suited Republican challenger named John McCain - (another former media creation now spurned for a "better uplifting biography").

But now the real stress starts, like an MD intern feels knowing that the pressure and challenges won't go away from now on and some cope poorly with stress. Stress, not grades, poor decisions, or lack of physical endurance is the reason why so many wash out of military academies, OCS, enlisted's boot camps..

LoafingOaf said...

Althouse should worry more about her main man, Rush Limbaugh. He's the one with the recent history of hard drug abuse and wild weight gains and weight losses. And Lord knows what he's up to when he travels to the Third World with large stockpiles of viagra.

Glenn Greenwald: "If the term 'moral degenerate' has any validity and can be fairly applied to anyone, there are few people who merit that term more than Rush Limbaugh. He is the living and breathing embodiment of moral degeneracy, with his countless overlapping sexual affairs, his series of shattered, dissolved marriages, his hedonistic and illegal drug abuse, his jaunts, with fistfulls of Viagra (but no wife), to an impoverished Latin American island renowned for its easy access to underage female prostitutes."

Kevin said...

"Glenn Greenwald: "If the term 'moral degenerate' has any validity and can be fairly applied to anyone, there are few people who merit that term more than Rush Limbaugh. He is the living and breathing embodiment of moral degeneracy, with his countless overlapping sexual affairs, his series of shattered, dissolved marriages, his hedonistic and illegal drug abuse, his jaunts, with fistfulls of Viagra (but no wife), to an impoverished Latin American island renowned for its easy access to underage female prostitutes."

This seems to be the new anti-Rush meme - it must be up on a Leftist board somewhere. It would be interesting to introduce Mr. Greenwald to the laws regarding libel and defamation. Perhaps Mr. Limbaugh will do so.

Bruce Hayden said...

It's hard telling if he lost weight yet, but I suspect he will before his job as president is over. In Myers Briggs terms, Obama is an ENTP.

I don't see the "E" in the ENTP. Rather, I would suggest INTP. And, there is I think part of why he is having a problem.

Why Introvert instead of Extrovert? Most politicians are, I think, Extroverts, who gain energy from other people. President Obama seems to need a lot of quit time away from new people. The old ones, Axelrod, Emanuel, etc. are just fine.

One indicia, I think, of this are all those "date nights" with his wife. That is something that an Introvert would need more than an Extrovert.

I say this being more ENTP, with a kid who is INTP. Both of us were tested last year, and said kid guessed exactly right - like dad, but without the need to talk to everyone. But I was much shyer at that age too, so there is still hope.

Patm said...

Obama is disappearing under the weight of his own mediocrity.

Chip Ahoy said...

Although loathe to acknowledge Drudge for the story, nutritionalists across the country agree Obama's inexplicable rapidly fluctuating weight is cause for deep concern.

Gary Rosen said...

"Intelligence in Presidents is overrated."

During the Presidential campaign the local rag, the San Jose Murky News, proclaimed that BO was more "intelligent, analytical, and curious" than President Bush. My first reaction was "Sez who? What is the evidence?" Aside from that, though, those are great qualities if you're electing, say, the Chief Medical Researcher of the United States. But they do not necessarily correlate perfectly to leadership and fortitude.

AllenS said...

How slim will he be, after 8 to 10 years of this stress?

bearbee said...

Oh yeah, and MadisonMan is right. His face hasn't lost weight. When someone gets way too skinny their chin gets very pointy, their nose looks big, and their head looks really big sitting on a stick-like neck. Barack doesn't have any of those attributes.

I think you are right when describing weight loss in older people with a lot of body fat but O is naturally slender and not a lot of body fat.

With his build I think weight loss might give his face a more 'string-y maybe hollow-eyed look.

Fred4Pres said...

Ralph Lauren just found a new model.

KCFleming said...

Oh Skin-nay!

Michael Haz said...

It's Bush's fault. He ate all the food in the WH before leaving January 20th.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I don't see the "E" in the ENTP. Rather, I would suggest INTP. And, there is I think part of why he is having a problem.


I think you are correct and this "I" component is why Obama is such a cold fish.

I tested on the Myers Briggs as a very strong INTJ personality type.


VW. bayboat. That would be nice. Sailing on the SF Bay on a sunny day.

KCFleming said...

@DBQ: INTJ roolz

Shining Wit said...

Obama is not an INTP. First of all, it is statistically improbable. Secondly, he doesn't seem to have a real interest in building systems of ideas. Finally, an INTP would never write a pair of emotive, navel-gazing memoirs before the age of 40.

I propose that he is an ISFP.

Shining Wit said...

Correction: I mean INFP. The sensitive-artist type.

Anonymous said...

@DBQ: INTJ roolz

Indeed we do!

Dust Bunny Queen said...

"@DBQ: INTJ roolz

Indeed we do!"

Yes we do.

This is probably why we can't stand the Jeremy and MUL types. It is almost like they are a foreign species. Can't grok.

Ha ha... I read this description of INTJ to my husband just now. INTJs are analytical. Like INTPs, they are most comfortable working alone and tend to be less sociable than other types. Nevertheless, INTJs are prepared to lead if no one else seems up to the task, or if they see a major weakness in the current leadership. They tend to be pragmatic, logical, and creative. They have a low tolerance for spin or rampant emotionalism. They are not generally susceptible to catchphrases and do not recognize authority based on tradition, rank, or title.

He said. Well that just about nails it. He refuses to take "stupid tests" and won't waste the time on them, but I'm guessing he is INFJ.

kjbe said...

Boy, after reading the comments, it mostly sounds like I'm overhearing a conversation in high school lunch room. Have at it, I guess.

AllenS said...

Hey, guys! Is that toilet paper on the bottom of Mona's shoe?

former law student said...

Prior to that, community organizing was a no-responsibility job.

Quite the opposite. Community organizing imposes responsibility without authority, and without even defined objectives. For INTJs like dbq it would be hell on earth.

Automatic_Wing said...

Quite the opposite. Community organizing imposes responsibility without authority, and without even defined objectives.

Responsibility, really? How would a community organizer be held responsible for, say, a failure to remove asbestos from the Altgeld Gardens housing project? Politicians can, at least theoretically, be voted out of office but there's really no accountability for a self-appointed community organizer.

KCFleming said...

"responsibility without authority"


That means "a bullshit job".

gk1 said...

isn't it amusing a year ago today liberals were ernestly contending obama had all the experience he needed for president because he was a community organizer. He's had the job what, 10 months and you guys are still pumping that up as "experience'? Good lord, just look at him and tell me you think he's up to the job. Sheesh, get a grip.

Dustin said...

FLS is admitting that Obama is responsible for what happened to his community organizing turf in Chicago... one of the worst disasters in American history, we all know. A place worse than anywhere in Iraq through most of the war.

I think that's being kinda hard on Obama, but FLS has a point... Chicago's hell that FLS says Obama is responsible does resemble the problems Obama is surely responsible for nationwide.

Good point, FLS. Obama really is a shitty leader.

former law student said...

there's really no accountability for a self-appointed community organizer.

First, Obama was not self-appointed, but an employee of the Developing Communities Project (sponsored by a group of local churches). Second, Obama was as accountable as any employee whose boss ever wondered, "Just what are we paying you for?"

Slow Joe -- Obama's turf at that time, a quarter-century ago, was limited to the Altgeld Gardens housing project.

Dancing Bear said...

I've seen way too many fat smokers to ascribe weight loss to smoking. Isn't the smoking tie to weight more about gain if you quit then lose if you start? I understand the smoking meme is more about conservatives desperate to find fault in BO but is there not even a little respect for logical thinking? Oh, and by the way...Florida, you are quacking and waddling a bit much...no?

bagoh20 said...

""Just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough." ~ Barack Obama

"These hands are registered deadly weapons" ~ Barney Fife

"but my mom thinks I'm cool" ~ Milhouse Van Houten

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Unknown said...

wow he's actually overweight? Didnt know that one, maybe he should visit one of our Houston weight loss clinics lol